The Bar Kochba revolt took place in and around Hebron.

The revolt of Shimon Bar Kochba (sometimes spelled Bar Kokhba) against the Roman invaders has been celebrated throughout the ages. From 132 and 135 CE, Bar Kochba and his zealots succeeded in returning the country to Jewish sovereignty for three years, an unprecedented feat when facing the might of the Roman Empire.

Many of the battles during the Bar Kochba revolt took place in and around Hebron. Archaeological artifacts dating to the era have been discovered in the Hebron Hills.

(Image: Map of the Bar Kochba revolt shows battles taking place in and around Hebron. Credit: Wiki Commons.)

Bar Kochba was finally defeated, however the Roman armies were decimated by the Jewish rebels and victory celebrations were muted. It took extra legions from abroad to defeat the Jews in their own land.

After Bar Kochba's defeat, the surviving Jews were sold as slaves in Hebron. Today, the archaeological site known as Elonei Mamre has ruins of the old marketplace which was used to sell Jewish slaves and ship them off to other countries. The ancient the walls are of Herodian architecture, testifying to the once strong Jewish presence in the region, and of the tragedy that took place following the defeat. For full article click here.

Coins minted by Bar Kochba and his new Jewish government were found in excavations in the Tel Hevron archaeological site (later known as Tel Rumeida). Other coins and artifacts have been found in surrounding Hebron hills communities such as Maon, where an ancient synagogue has been uncovered.

Neighboring towns like Sussiya, Ein-Arroub (El Arroub), Dharaiya and other places in the Hebron Hills were all centers of Shimon Bar Kochba's revival of Jewish sovereignty and sites of fierce battles with the Romans.